Transfer Credit

This page contains information regarding transfer credit. Additional information can be found in the College Catalog. If you have any questions, please refer to the FAQ link below and/or contact Cassandra Keithley at x5982.

Work satisfactorily completed at an accredited collegiate institution is accepted for transfer provided it is academic in nature and is generally applicable toward a liberal arts program of study. In general, professional or vocationally oriented courses are not accepted for transfer.

A record of all academic work undertaken in other collegiate institutions, including a record of correspondence and distance learning work and registration in summer sessions, must be presented to the Registrar by every student who has undertaken such work. Students who fail to provide such transcripts may be guilty of unethical conduct and may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension or dismissal from the college.

No credit will be granted for course work, including correspondence and distance learning courses, taken in another collegiate institution while the student is in residence at Whitman College unless written permission to register for such courses is obtained in advance by the student from his or her adviser and from the Registrar. Nothing in this rule makes mandatory the granting of any credit by Whitman College.

A total of 70 credits of advanced standing transferred from other accredited collegiate institutions is the maximum non-Whitman work creditable toward a bachelor's degree. This includes credit allowed on the basis of scores made on the Advanced Placement Test of the College Board, higher-level courses for the International Baccalaureate, Running Start courses, or certain military service. Credit earned exclusively from two-year colleges is limited to 62 semester credits applicable toward a bachelor's degree.

No transfer credit is applied toward a Whitman degree unless it is of average (C- or 1.7 on a numerical grade scale) or better quality. Grades awarded by other institutions are not made a part of the student's Whitman record.

Running Start and Similar Programs Courses

Whitman will review credit earned through the Running Start Program and similar dual enrollment programs on a course-by-course basis. Course work is eligible for credit only if the class(es) are taught on the college campus by college faculty, and no more than one-third of the participants consists of high school students. Credits awarded will be for classes at a commensurate level and in subject matter relevant to the Whitman College liberal arts curriculum.

Students who earned credits from Running Start (either Washington’s Running Start or a similar program from another state) will choose one of the following two options: (1) transfer all Running Start credits so as to be enrolled at Whitman at the class level and with the financial aid availability consistent with the number of credits (Running Start and any post-secondary) transferred to the college. Those transferring fewer than 58 credits to Whitman must complete General Studies 145 and 146 in their initial year of enrollment. (2) Transfer no more than 14 Running Start semester credits and be considered first-year students for purposes of financial aid availability if they complete General Studies 145 and 146 (i.e. “Encounters”) during their initial year of enrollment at Whitman (See Financial Aid Web page).

Students must declare to the Registrar whether they plan to choose between option 1 or 2 during their initial registration at Whitman. However, to give students a chance to reconsider their decision in light of their Whitman experience, the choice will not become official until the end of the student’s second semester of coursework. Should a student choose option 2 at this point, he or she will be required to complete General Studies 145 and 146 (i.e. “Encounters”) within his or her next two semesters of enrollment at Whitman.

College Courses Offered in the High School

Whitman does not award credit for course work completed in a high school classroom and appearing on a transcript from a college or university.

Two-Year Colleges

A maximum of 62 semester hours of credit may be transferred from accredited two-year colleges. Whitman will accept credit on a course-by-course basis from the Associate of Arts or Sciences degree programs.

Continuing Education and Online Courses

Not more than 10 credits of extension and/or online work may be credited toward a bachelor's degree, and such work must be completed in institutions that hold membership in the University Continuing Education Association.